CHAPTER 69: ...MOTHER?

Harley seemed as if she was drowning in grief the more she talked about Max’s mother. It was quite clear that they were very close.

"What do you mean not fated?" Max asked, even though he could already guess the answer.

"You may think that our future is set in stone, but not really. There are infinite versions of what could happen, and we call them different timelines. What your mother used to see was the timeline that had the highest chance of happening," Harley explained.

She paused for a second before continuing.

"She could also see the chances of that timeline taking over others to become reality. I think that’s what terrified her. She probably saw a terrifying future with almost one hundred percent chances of happening."

She chuckled softly.

"Because of that, she probably decided to force other timelines to overtake that particular one. I don’t know how she was planning to do that, but she had included me in it, saying that I played an important part in it."

She paused, taking out a silver locket from her pocket.

"She was the most important person in my life. Someone I would give my life for, so I decided to do as she said. And do you know what I needed to do according to her?"

"What?"

"Marry you," Harley laughed at that. "I was, what, probably ten years old when she told me that. It freaked me out because she wasn’t even pregnant back then. She was basically booking you in advance for me."

Max grumbled lightly but waited for more.

"It didn’t quite sit well with me, but I didn’t want to reject her, so I agreed. As I grew up, we distanced ourselves as she went to work as a maid under that bastard. I thought she might need me in the future, so I worked hard to build this business empire."

She sighed, "But she never came to me. The only thing I got was the news of her death. She had actually told me that she would die when you’re ten, but it still shocked me."

Max felt very disappointed and sad hearing that, as a heavy feeling settled in his chest. He had thought that if she was really that strong, then she would be alive somewhere.

"You just heard the news, right? Doesn’t that mean there are chances she’s alive?" Max asked, hoping he was right. "Wait! The person imprisoned in that academy..."

"Don’t bother! She is dead, and I saw her body myself," Harley sighed. "I was also in denial and honestly, I blamed you for her death because she died for your destiny. She said only you had the potential to change the future she saw in her visions."

"She died... because of me?" Max struggled to breathe as the thought that he had killed his mother settled in his heart.

Even though he had personally never met his mother, the emotions and feelings the old Max had towards his mother remained. They were too strong to get faded away so easily.

"Don’t blame yourself because I’ve stopped blaming you too," Harley said, as she swung her arm around Max’s shoulder and hugged him. "It was her decision. Everything was her decision."

She patted his hand and said,

"Anyways, she had told me that you were the only chance of this world because of whatever she saw. I was sceptical at first because you... you had nothing. Not even the mentality that I thought I would see in you."

She lingered for a while before continuing.

"That’s why I waited and continued to observe you. I didn’t feel bad about it, as she had told me you would escape your terrible situation yourself, which I found very impossible."

"That’s why you decided to contact me when I managed to escape?" Max asked, suppressing his emotions.

"Hmm. I was surprised, and a hope ignited in my heart that she was right all along—that she hadn’t sacrificed herself for nothing. And when I met you, I knew she was right."

She pointed at her eyes and said, "I can see things that others can’t because of my Heaven Eyes, and all I saw was endless potential in you and a very dangerous feeling. Believe it or not, there have been few things that managed to scare me, and whatever you have did it."

Max remained silent, not willing to disclose the existence of The Heart’s Desire even now.

"You don’t have to tell me anything about your secrets. I trust you and her on this. Whatever she had told me came true, so I will follow her instructions now, and she never told me to search for your secrets."

"But I’m still confused on why would she tell you to marry me?" Max asked.

"How would I know?" Harley shrugged. "All she told me was that it was a very important element, and if we didn’t marry, all of her plans would go to waste. Everything she did, including her sacrifice, would be wasted."

She touched the locket and said, "I didn’t want that, but I was also reluctant to marry someone so young. She was like my big sister, so in a way, I’m your aunt, even though we aren’t blood-related. It just didn’t feel right."

"And your pride didn’t allow you to marry someone weaker than you," Max guessed.

"Yes, there’s also that. That’s why I was trying to rile you up and see how you react," she grinned softly. "If you had succumbed to my advances, I would have still married you, but things would be way different than you would expect from a couple."

’I knew it! She’s crazy!’

"Anyways, you passed the test," Harley smiled at him. "You have a good personality that goes along with mine, you also have endless potential and... your speech might have also given you some extra points."

She chuckled softly and leaned forward, "So, I don’t mind giving you a chance now. What do you say, Max? Are you willing to take your aunt as your wife?"

Max had a lot to process and couldn’t bring himself to reject her again, so he just looked away and said, "Umm, are you forgetting that I already have a girlfriend and I don’t plan to betray her."

[Tsk! You’re just playing hard to get even though you want both of them.]

’Well, let me handle my harem!’